Birmingham's Big City Plan Revealed as Consultation Begins

March 4 2008

An exciting 20-year vision for the future of Birmingham City Centre was unveiled by Birmingham City Council today as it launched a consultation document on its much anticipated 'Big City Plan'.

Developed by leading UK urban designers, Urban Initiatives, the Big City Plan
Charter outlines 20 key issues and areas of opportunity which the city needs to address in order to achieve its ambitions for future development.

Within each area the charter proposes a number of often radical solutions to the issues raised and challenges local agencies, businesses and the public to work with the council to further discuss and develop these.    

Mike Whitby, Leader of Birmingham City Council, said: 'The Big City Plan marks an important stage in the evolution of Birmingham as a modern, vibrant and truly global city. Opportunities to conduct such visionary and important work come round but once in a generation, which is why we are determined to consult as widely as possible in order to get it right.

'The plan is not just about repositioning our city for those who wish to visit, relocate or invest over the next 20 years. Most importantly it is about creating a Birmingham designed for, and by, the people who actually live here.'

The largest ever plan of its kind in the UK, the Big City Plan will co-ordinate the overall physical, economic and cultural development of not just the city centre, but also the wider city and region beyond.

As part of this more than £11 billion worth of investment is already planned for the city centre, including Arena Central, New Street Gateway Project, Snow Hill redevelopment and the proposed Library of Birmingham.

The proposals within the charter were developed by Urban Initiatives in consultation with the council, international experts in urban growth and the 'Big City Team, a specially convened group of young professionals and community figures from within the city.

Key to all the proposals is a sense of developing a unique 'Birmingham' approach to future development and services in the city. Key topics include:

§ The need for more family housing in the city centre
§ A lack of green space
§ The need for a better transport network
§ More support for the creative industries
§ How to improve general quality of life for citizens
§ Developing more sustainable forms of energy production and housing

Kelvin Campbell, Managing Director of Urban Initiatives, said:

'We must build upon what is already distinctive and successful about Birmingham to make it even greater and more unique. The city of a thousand trades, as it was once known; today has the youngest population of any city in Europe and the largest black and ethnic minority population in the UK.

'It is time the fabric of city centre reflected this young, diverse and aspirational culture, fostering the spirit of creativity, enterprise and growth which already exists within the population.'

The proposed plan is based upon the principles set out by Professor Michael Parkinson of the European Institute for Urban Affairs, in his 'visioning study' delivered to the Council in 2007.

The largest ever plan of its kind in the UK, the Big City Plan will co-ordinate the overall physical, economic and cultural development of the city centre.

Its aim is to better connect the city and integrate future developments with improved transportation links, while identifying appropriate delivery mechanisms for sustainable future growth and private-sector investment.

While the plan deals specifically with the 800 hectares of land defined as the city centre, its impact is expected to reach out into the wider city and far beyond.

During an official launch event this Wednesday (27th February) key stakeholders and big businesses operating within Birmingham will be invited to sign a charter pledging to work with council to pursue the objectives set out in the plan.

Following the launch in Birmingham, city officials will then present the plan to a global audience at MIPIM in early March.

The event will also mark the launch of a far wider public consultation exercise on the proposals, which using a wide range of face-to-face, written and on-line methods will seek to gain input from local business and the public alike, before a final version of the plan is finalised later in the year.

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